Fabric-forming machine



@ st 9, 1929, z. R.,MAULSBY ET AL 1,733,353

FABRIC FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z J /0 2 Jyi' 7 7 4 8 I [HI mummmmummlw- /4 14 HWHHHWIW H WWW WI WW WU f WI NIH/UINVENTOR ENE R MHz/1.55 y

ATTORNEY Oct. 29, 1929. 2. R. lMAULSBY ET AL 1,733,353

FABRIC FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ZNP MAuLsBY Z T I 46 J N P. Mfil/LS 5 7 4; BY

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE- ZENE B. MAULSBYAND JOHN It. MAULSBY, OF EVERETT, WASHINGTCN FABRIC-FORMING MACHINEApplication filed September 24, 1925. Serial No. 53,354.

This invention relates to improvements in forming machines, and moreparticularly to machines for forming fabric'into decorative designs; itbeing the principal object of the invention to provide a machine forcrimping or shaping fine fabrics into designs suitable for decorativepurposes such as for the lininglof caskets and the like.

ore specifically stated, the object of the invention resides in theprovision of a ma chine for. the above stated purpose embodying ahorizontal frame on which the members over which the cloth is formed maybe arranged and a series of rods adapted to be disposed over the clothto crimp it about the forms while it is tacked to a suitable backingwhich retains it in its given shape after being removed from themachine. Other objects reside in the various details of construction andcombination of parts embodied in the invention and in their mode ofoperation as will hereinafter. be described.

' In accomplishing these and other objects f the invention, we haveprovided the im 'o proved details of construction, the preferred orms ofwhich are illustrated in the acconipanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1invention. i p Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

of a bar and some thereon. a

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental section longitudinally of the machinV p Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental section 5 transversely of thesame. i s 1 Figure 6 is apartial plan view showing forming blocksofdifierent design. Figure 7 is a detail of the forming blocks tivecoustructic Slidably are the forming blocks 10, each of which is is aperspective view of acloth' forming machine embodied by thepresentqrtoward each other. The blocks may be P Y 4 .=inade in variousshapes such as round, aoroblong. They may also be made Figure v3 is anenlarged perspective view .;ure 6, which shows a cloverleaf, diamond andcircular forms. 80

, new of an alternative 7 I type ofblock and fastener.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings- 1designates a rectangular frame or table supported at a suitable workingheight by legs 2 placed at its four corners. The frame comprises thelongitudinal, opposite side rails 3-3 and the opposite end rails 44, oneof the latter having an upstanding flange 5 provided along the'outeredge against which the ends, of bars 6' supported on the frame may bealined.

The bars 6 are arranged in parallel relation on the frame and maybeadjusted from and toward each other. It is preferred that the ends ofall the bars be joined by the lazy tong mechanism as at so that'whenadjustment of the bars from or toward each other is made, an equalspacing between the several bars will be automatically maintained.

The bars 6 preferably would be flat iron pieces placed on edge andprovided at their 3 ends with cross pieces 8 whereby the movementof thebarstogether is limited.

mounted on each of the bars 6 provided with a downwardly opening slot:11 which receives its supporting bar and which permits the' blocks tobe adjusted from J square, to represent charact-eristic designs, asshown in Fig- In order to limit the distance of spacing of the blocksapart on each bar, we have fixed plates 14 to the under side at one edgeof each block and these plates extend beneath an ad jacent block andhave upturned hooks 15 at I their ends adapted to engage with the endsof 1 slots 16 in the under sides of the blocks, as shown in Figure 3.

The plates 14 are adjustably fastened to the blocks by means of setscrews 17 extended through slots 18 in the plates and this provides foradjusting the plates so as to vary the spacing distance.

To limit the distance of movement of the blocks toward each other, heelplates 21 are fixed to the edges of the blocks opposite the edges towhich plates 14 are fixed and these are adapted to engage the edges ofadjacent blocks.

On the upper surface of each of the end blocks, and 'on the intermediateblocks if desired, there is'provided a plurality of holes 19 in whichshort upwardly directed pins 20 may be removably inserted to serve as ameans for retaining the cloth in place when it is placed over the blocksfor forming.

In using the device, the bars 6 are first moved apart to a desiredspacing and the blocks are spread apart on the several bars and the pins20 are placed in the end blocks and othersat places desired. The pieceof cloth which is to be formed, as designated at i 25 in Figures 4 and5, is placed over the forming blocks and is pressed down over the pinsso thatit will be held thereby. Rods 26 are then placed upon the clothlongitudinally of the frame between each row of blocks and other rods 27are placed transversely thereof between the alined blocks of the severalrows. The bars 6 are then moved toward each other to the distanceprovided for and the blocks are closed together on the bars so that thecloth is crimped downwardly between each bar and also between eachtransversely alined row of blocks.

After this is done, a piece of heavy fabric 30, as a backing, is placedover the frame and it is tacked by stitching to the formed fabric. Therods 26 and 27 are then withdrawn and the shaped cloth removed.

If it is desired snap fasteners such as indicated in Figure i, may beused to attach the formed piece of material to the backing, or paste maybe used for certain work.

In an alternative construction shown in Figure 8, we have showna frame40 hingedly attached to the frame 1 to swing upward from and downwardlyover the forming blocks. This frame 40 has end and side rails providedwith holes 41 for receiving the cross rods 26 and 27 so that they may bemoved bodily against the cloth so as to facilitate the crimping of thecloth between the forming blocks. This frame could be operated by a footpedal 45 connected operatively to the irame by suitable mechanism asindicated at Having thus described our invention, what

